Who are the country’s biggest sun tanners?

While exposure to the sun does stimulate the production of Vitamin D and also aids calcium absorption for stronger bones, excessive exposure will leave you sunburnt, sore, and sorry.

In New Zealand, we love to get out in the sun when we can, and apparently many of us live to regret it!

According to Canstar Blue’s survey of more than 1,700 New Zealand adults, a whopping 62% of us wish that we had protected ourselves better from the sun when we were younger. This included almost three-quarters of Baby Boomers (74%) and 70% of Gen X. Gen Y, being younger, have fewer regrets – but even so 51% of Gen Y wish they had better-protected their skin.

This regret translates into concern about skin cancer, with 70% of survey respondents admitting concern, a statistic fairly consistent across the generations. Despite this concern, only 24% of respondents regularly have skin cancer checks.

According to the Cancer Society, New Zealand has the highest rate of melanoma (the most dangerous type of skin cancer) in the world. Common places to get sunburnt (with attendant skin cancer risk) are the face, neck, ears, hands, and arms. They are the parts of the body that catch the sun more often.

On top of that, those with fair skin are far more likely to get sunburnt, as are people with red hair. However, this doesn’t mean that anyone should skip out on sun protection. Never skip out on sun protection!

What is the best way to protect your skin? By using some common sense. Sunscreen is a must, and a product that contains Zinc Oxide or Titanium Dioxide as an active ingredient can offer the best protection.

Seeking some shade and wearing sun protective clothing will also reduce the risk of getting burnt.

Only a minority of people are protecting themselves property from sun risks. 59% of our survey respondents said that they should protect themselves from the sun better than they currently do.

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